Common Socket Sizes, what do I need?!

Ben Up North

Ben Up North

can only hope to improve
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
2,115
Location
FNQ
Car Year
2004 | 1992
Car Model
SG Forester X MY05 | 92 SVX
Transmission
5MT D/R | 4EAT
Seeing as Supercheap has a sale of 60% off sockets and rails of them I thought I'd pick up spares of all the most commonly used sizes on a Subaru (and my trailer)

I think I need:
10mm (probably get half a dozen of these!)
12mm
13mm (?)
19mm
21mm(?)

Can anybody add to that? what are the largest sockets needed?
Which deep sockets are the most commonly used?

Today only, here if your interested.
 
Replace 13 with 14 and 21 with 17. Single hex flank drive except for head bolts. Add 32 for axle nuts.
 
Rally beat me to it!

Spanners: same as above with the sockets, plus a 22mm offset ring spanner for the O2 sensor...

Also oil is on sale. Good time to grab it ready for the next change. That’s what I’ll be hunting for. God knows what else I’ll come out with :lol:

Cheers

Bennie
 
Awesome, thanks.
any sizes that should be deep sockets?
What size are the head bolts (haven't got that close to a subaru engine yet lol)?
 
I think 12mm, possibly 14, forgotten. I’ve always had deep and short. I use short mostly, never hurts to have a “spare”.
 
Oh, except for the 32mm get 3/8 drive
 
why 3/8? I currently use 1/4 and 1/2 Although for some reason I do have a couple of 3/8 sockets. :shrug:
 
Oh.. I guess anything smaller than a 14/15 is going to mean the base of the socket may be too wide for where it's going?
 
3/8 is the most popular size for mechanics and they are normally small enough to get into most places and big enough to have the strength in most conditions. The socket sizes in that drive are covered by this drive, and they lack the clumsiness of half drive. So much nicer to use than half drive
 
I’ve to checked my kit and I’m 100% sure a 22mm socket is needed for the crank bolt on the EJ.

As for deep sockets, the only one I’ve used is an 8mm hex deep socket to remove the torx bolt in the rear diff output stubs.

I’ve got 1/2 inch drive socket in my sidchrome set. Does the job 99% of the time for me.
For the 32mm socket get a 3/4 drive and breaker bar ;) Works a treat!

SCA was super busy when I visited earlier. Got $100 of oil for $60. Winning!

Cheers

Bennie
 
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Ended up buying a couple of rails of deep sockets 1/4 &3/8@ 60% off, then some 3/8 extension bars & a ratchet @2 0%. ~$70 worth after discount. I think I did alright, worked out a bit cheaper than buying a set, but i probably need to ppick up a universal joint as well. have to dig around and see if there's one in the bunch of 3/8 sockets I've got.

oh, and 32mm in 1/2 inch. I've got a pretty good half inch set (about 25 years old), this completes it I reckon.

The only thing I didn't look at which I've been meaning too, is a torque wrench.
anybody used one of these?
 
Rather than getting a 3/8 uni joint, look out for a 3/8 ball joint. They don’t flop over the way a uni joint can, so much nicer to use and control.
 
That's exactly what I want. Universal joints suck only a bit less than not having them at all.
 
Correction: crank bolt is 22mm.

My previous post on this is update to reflect the correct information.

As for the half inch drive 32mm. You should have gone with a 3/4 inch drive. I sheared off one of dad’s best half inch drive breaker bars. And you guessed it, can’t buy that quality tool brand anymore :sadbanana:

Cheers

Bennie
 
You can be unlucky with that sort of thing. I had my own business selling this stuff, and most of the time you can tell they have been abused which voids warranty. It’s harder for the smaller mechanics as they just don’t weigh enough on the harder jobs. Still, I had one tiny customer, who weighed less than 45kg, and he managed to break one without abusing it. It was obviously faulty because there is no way someone that small should be able to do that.

We sold half drive up to 36mm. As for 3/4 drive, I’ve seen them break too. If there’s a dodgy way of treating a tool, most mechanics will find it
 
They didn't have 3//4 drive And I don't have a 3/4 breaker bar.
See how we go.
 
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